Lone Gunslinger
by Tamyou
Summary: Natasha knows something is up. Something's off about the way Tony and Rhodey interact lately, something is definitely not right. Asexual!Tony. Background Tony/Steve/Bucky. Part 2 of "Ace of Hearts".


**A/N:** Finally, at long last, the second part of Asexual Tony's Adventures (ok I think I like that name) is here, and this time with a load of lovely Nat. This one is here to fix what Rhodey did to Tony in the previous story.

It's important to say that even though Tony tries to provide excuses for Rhodey for outing him so brutally in front of his boyfriends, that is only Tony's opinion. I in no way believe that outing someone is right, no matter the reason. If someone is worried about you, they need to find other ways to help.

That being said, I hope you will enjoy this fic and I hope this will help raising awareness! Happy Ace Awareness Week!

 **Warnings:** Outing (fix-it). Polyamory. Tony's insecurities. Ignorance.

I own nothing.

* * *

Natasha knows something is up.

It's Tony this time, but there's no surprise there - half the issues in the Tower have something to do with Tony Stark. That's just the way things are in their little group.

Seemingly, things are proceeding as usual. Monsters and supervillains still attack the planet from time to time, and new members join the team as time goes on. They all manage well enough, all things considered. Especially Tony. For the past few months, Tony's been openly and publicly dating Steve and Bucky, and it seems like their company and their love make the lonely engineer tons of good. As of last month the trio has taken the next step, and Tony's two super-soldiers have permanently moved onto Stark's personal floor. It'd taken the entire team to move the couple's belongings upstairs - as Steve had repeatedly declined Tony's many offers to use his usual movers, saying that he wanted to do that the old fashioned way - and Natasha was almost surprised by the large amount of trinkets the two managed to collect during their relatively short time in the 21st century.

Almost.

There was only one person missing from the team effort to help Steve and Bucky settle in Tony's penthouse, and that was Colonel James Rhodes. It'd become an awkward and concerningly familiar habit, as Tony's best friend seemed to have disappeared from their social gatherings almost entirely. Because even during the few times he did show up, there seemed to be some vague tension between the two best friends, something off about the way they interacted. The team was worried - Steve and Bucky in particular, if the concerned glances they kept shooting their boyfriend were anything to go by - but no one dared saying anything to either of them.

They pretend everything is perfectly okay, though. They still talk. They still joke. Tony still calls Rhodes "Honeybear" and Rhodes still retorts with a quick, "moron". But they are never left alone anymore. Not like before. Tony seems perfectly fine with hanging with Rhodes whenever there are other people around. However, the second someone makes to leave them alone for a little bit of privacy - like they did so many times before - Tony quickly makes up some poor excuse that he no doubt believes is subtle, then flees the room and leaves a nervous looking Rhodey behind to watch him go. Steve and Bucky both seem uncomfortable whenever this happens, but they say nothing, and only exchange worried, guilty glances before going after their boyfriend.

So yes. Something is definitely not right, and Natasha intends to find out exactly what.

And so she takes a step back, and watches, and observes.

* * *

Tony barges into his lab like a storm and shuts the glass door behind him as he beelines towards his workbench and snatches a large wrench from the desk.

"Blackout, Fri." He grits out, feeling his entire body vibrate nervously. "Turn the music up."

 **"Yes, Boss."**

Tony sighs, bracing his hands against the metal surface and closing his eyes. Music blasts around him, beating with his slowly calming pulse, loud enough to almost become a white noise that drowns out everything else.

But not his thoughts.

His thoughts are restless. His mind reeling. He isn't sure what exactly he's feeling, he only know that his heart aches with a foreign pain that he'd only ever felt once before.

 _Rhodey._

Rhodey is... always. If Tony had to come up with one word to describe his best friend, it would be ' _Always_ '. Ever since he could remember, Rhodey's been there, a constant in his life. They fight sometimes, like all friends do, and then they make up without uttering a single word. And, when Rhodey decides that enough is enough, they sometimes even have a heart-to-heart that Tony very secretly adores. They are best friends, in the most cliche sense of the word. And Tony loves it.

The thing is, Tony knows he can always trust him to be there for him, just like Rhodey can count on him.

Or rather, could. Before.

Now he's not so sure.

He gets that Rhodey had only meant well, that he's been worried about him and only wanted to help. And he _did_. By revealing one of Tony's deepest secrets he'd forced his friend to face a problem that if left unchecked would have probably eventually led to the destruction of his relationship with his two super-soldiers. And Tony knows he should be happy that his friend did what he did. Everything turned out fine, after all. Right?

But Tony can't. He knows that it's petty and childish, but he can't. Because no matter how great it feels to have his boyfriend know, that secret was _his_ to share. Not Rhodey's.

And now he's scared.

Well, not exactly scared. But cautious. Yes, _cautious_ is the word he's looking for.

"Stop thinking so loud."

Tony jumps with an undignified yelp and his elbow accidentally bumps into a box of tiny copper nails and spills them on the floor, his wrench hitting the metal desk with a loud clang. He whirls around, brown eyes startled wide, to see a redheaded spy leaning nonchalantly against his doorframe, indifferent to the chaos her simple appearance had caused.

"How did you get in here?" He gasps out, wishing that his heart would stop hammering so embarrassingly fast. He should be used to that already, really. How long has he been living under the same roof with two super-spies?

Natasha smirks. "I have my override codes."

"Those are for _emergencies_!"

"I may or may not have had a little help."

Tony's eyes narrow and turns an accusing glance towards the closest camera.

"You are even worse than your brother." He scolds.

 **"My apologies, Boss."**

Tony huffs in disbelief, then turns back to the sneaky spy that had somehow turned his own creation against him. Again. "Alright. Since I'm surrounded by traitors, I have no choice but to give in and ask. What are you doing here?" He pouts, setting his wrench back on his worktable. Natasha's face is blank as she moves a little from the door and into the room, and Tony does his best not to flinch. He knows better than to get dangerous assassins mad, even if said assassins include Natasha or his formerly brainwashed boyfriend.

"You avoid Colonel Rhodes," She states with her unchanging blank expression, and this time Tony does flinch. "Why?"

"I don't." He denies almost immediately, and even as the words leave his lips he knows she would never believe them. Hell, even he isn't sure he'd have believed them. His fingers find a tiny screwdriver on his desk and he picks it up, toying with it nervously to hide the twitching of his hand.

Natasha says nothing. She only stares, and her eyes are so sharp that Tony can practically feel his denial crumbling. So he sighs, leaning a hip against his workbench, and crosses one arm across his chest while the other keeps twirling the small tool.

"Fine." He admits in defeat. "I _am_ avoiding Rhodey. It's nothing we can't solve, though."

"I'm sure." Natasha quirks a delicate eyebrow. "But will you?"

He can't answer that. So he glances aside guiltily.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She asks, her tone neutral and calm as always, and Tony knows she doesn't - wouldn't - judge, even if he told her the truth. She never does. Because Natasha is just great like that. He chews the inside of his lower lips for two short seconds before squaring his shoulders and looking straight into her eyes. If he's going to do this, he's going to do this with pride.

"Um, well. A while ago, I told Rhodey a secret." He starts, albeit awkwardly. "Something about me, and that could have an effect on my relationship with the guys."

"And he told it."

Tony winces. "Not even a minute later." He says, then shrugs a little. "I get that he only wanted to protect me and that he thought he was doing the right thing by telling them. But the thing is... it was _my_ secret to tell." Tony's eyebrows draw together in a miserable frown, his eyes dropping to the small blue screwdriver he's fiddling with absentmindedly. "I... I would have eventually told them, I guess. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe I'd have kept it a secret until everything exploded like it did with Pepper. It doesn't matter. He shouldn't have put us in this situation, even if it turned out he was right."

His voice dies down with an awkward chuckle that is anything but amused, and Natasha says nothing when he finishes talking. She watches him silently, her eyes searching as he tries very hard not to squirm under her gaze. He feels naked, as if she can read him like an open book. Maybe she can.

"Say something." He blurts out.

"I understand." She says, and her tone is the same neutral one it always is. She rests a delicate hand on her hip, but otherwise stays in her place close to the entrance, and it gives Tony a slight sense of safety. As long as she stays away, he can keep his emotions in check.

"That's all?" He asks, and can't help the ridiculous pout that crosses his face. "I pour my heart here like in some kind of a chick flick and all you come back with is 'I understand'?" He sighs. "Why do I even bother talking to all of you emotionally stunted people."

"Big talk from the guy who wouldn't even tell his boyfriends he doesn't like sex."

Tony startles, eyes shooting up to look at her in shock, wide and almost weary.

"H-how- who-"

"Relax, Stark." Natasha says, and there is a glint in her eyes that betrays her amusement at his reaction. "Nobody tattled. You forget that noticing things is my job."

"Dammit." He hisses out with a heavy sigh. She shrugs.

"I do understand, though." She says, quiet and drawling. "Outing someone is just not okay. No matter the reason."

Tony waves the hand holding the screwdriver, trying to make light of the situation. "Well, um, he _did_ help, as it turned out-"

"Still not okay." She says firmly, cutting him off. Tony snaps his mouth shut at the bite in her tone, fingers back to nervously play with the tool in his hand as the silence drags on.

"Nat?" He eventually says, breaking the silence, his voice quiet and wary as she stares at him with those sharp eyes of hers. She tilts her head a little in acknowledgement, so he takes it as a permission to continue. Tony gulps. "How did you know?" He asks weakly, still watching her as a jitter of concern flutters in his stomach. Because, really, how _did_ she know? Does he give off signs that he doesn't even notice? He'd thought he was keeping it to himself rather well.

A hint of a smirk touches Natasha's lips and she straightens up, her eyes softening a little as she moves back towards the glass door, hips swaying with her cat-like manners. For a second Tony thinks she's going to leave without answering his question, but as she places a long-fingered hand on the glass and pushes it open, she turn around a little to throw a coy wink his way.

"Takes one to know one." She says with a smile, leaving Tony to gape after her as she saunters up the stairs.

* * *

A week later finds Tony struggling for the fourth time that day with his new gauntlet that just wouldn't bend the way he wants it to, when FRIDAY announces that Colonel Rhodes requests entrance to his lab.

Tony freezes, shoulders tensing and squaring, and the volume of his music dials down as he turns around to see his best friend standing on the other side of the glass wall, looking more troubled and tense than Tony has ever seen him. He puts his gauntlet down, tells FRIDAY to save and close, and then takes a deep breath.

"Let him in."

The thick glass door slides open and Rhodes steps hesitantly inside. He tries to smile at Tony, but it comes out crooked and awkward. He pauses by one of Tony's less used desks, picking up a small metallic device that he doesn't recognize - probably one of Tony's toys - turning it in his hand twice before setting it back down.

"Um. What's up? How's stuff, Honeybear?" Tony tries for a lighter tone, spinning a little in his chair.

"I'm fine, Tones. I-" Rhodey pauses. He takes a breath he knows Tony notices, finding his gaze and holding it bravely. "Listen, I... I want to apologize."

Tony tenses.

"What for?" His tone is still light, but there is a strain there, some distance that he tries not to let show. Rhodey winces.

"For outing you." He says, and it almost sounds like a question. Tony visibly winces at the term, but Rhodey continues. "I mean... I knew you were mad that I told them, but I thought, well... I thought I was doing what's best for you, and that you will eventually realize this. I just hated that lone gunslinger thing you always do. And I was worried."

Tony narrows his eyes a little, watching his friend carefully. He kicks the bottom of his chair once, letting the words sink in.

"So what changed?"

Rhodey swallows. "Someone made me realize how wrong that was of me, especially when really, I don't know what it's like to be what you are." He says, and somehow, Tony thinks he knows exactly who that special someone is. He smiles a little to himself, and reminds himself to make her new boots as a 'thank you'. "I should have tried to persuade you to tell Steve and Bucky, instead of telling them myself." Rhodey says, and his dark eyes are warm and full of regret. "I'm really sorry about this, Tony. I hope you can forgive me, and if it's not too much, I'd love to learn more about this."

Tony says nothing for a long moment, and he only watches him, not moving an inch.

"Alright." He finally says, and now his eyes are no longer guarded or cautious.

Rhodey blinks,and his shoulders sag in relief. He smiles softly at his friend, and he knows that everything is once again normal between them. It feels right.

"Alright."

* * *

 **A/N:** Reviews are food for a writer's soul.


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